Athens, Ga. – Before starting a business, entrepreneurs need to have their personal finances in order, says University of Georgia’s Michael Rupured. The consumer economics specialist is using his financial expertise to give them a head start.
Rupured, along with UGA Cooperative Extension agents, will hold financial workshops throughout Georgia over the next several months. The first session will be on Sept. 21 in Tifton followed by workshops on Oct. 27 in Cumming and Moultrie, Nov. 9 in DeKalb County and Ellijay and Nov. 29 in Brunswick and Perry.
Additional workshops will be held from January to June 2012.
The sessions are intended for those who realize that starting a new business is a tremendous undertaking, Rupured said, and who understand the importance of having their personal finances in order before taking on the additional risks of business loans.
During the four-hour workshops, participants will learn to set and achieve financial goals, plan their personal spending, work effectively with banks and other financial institutions, manage their credit, prepare for the unexpected and protect their personal assets.
“You may have the greatest idea in the world for a business, but if your personal finances are in disarray or if your credit scores are too low, it’s almost impossible to get funding from banks or other lending agencies,” said Rupured, who works for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension. “In addition, there’s the reality that it can easily take six months to a year before a new business has any income. You have to be certain that you can continue to pay your home mortgage and buy groceries during that time.”
For a complete list of workshops and registration information, see www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/econ/mm.php.
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